How to Determine Fertility

Fertility, or the ability to become pregnant, is very important for all sexually active adults to consider, whether you’re trying to start a family or looking for ways to practice safe sex. Although it’s easy to chart, tracking, determining, and improving your chances at fertility requires a lot of patience. While it’s always best to bring any serious fertility concerns to a medical professional, there are plenty of methods and procedures you can use as you plan for the next big step in your adult life.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Choosing the Best Time to Conceive

1. Take an at-home ovulation test for a quick way to find out when you ovulate. Pick up an ovulation test online or at your local drugstore. Around 3-5 days before you expect to start ovulating, pee on one of the sticks in the fertility kit, then wait a few seconds to see if the right hormones are “surging.” Use the other sticks in the kit to test your hormone levels multiple days in a row. Once your hormone levels increase dramatically, you can probably assume that you’ll ovulate in a day or so.^[1]
   
   • Read the instructions that come with your kit for more specific guidance.
2. Track your menstrual cycle to figure out how long it is. Use a spare notebook to jot down some basic info, like your temperature, or if you’re currently on your period. If you’re on your period, mention if your bleeding is regular or especially heavy, or if you’re experiencing a lot of pain. You can also use this diary to track how long your average period is.^[2]
   
   • Your menstrual cycle refers to the total length of time between 2 periods, while your period refers to your menstrual bleeding.
   • For a regular diary entry, you can include the date, your body temperature, as well as any symptoms you had throughout the day.
3. Calculate your most fertile day using your past cycles. Look at your past 4-6 recorded cycles, and find the shortest one. Remove 18 days from the total length of that cycle. Transfer that number to a calendar or journal where you’re tracking your current menstrual cycle. To figure out when your fertile window ends, subtract 11 from the length of the longest menstrual cycle you’ve had.^[3]
   
   • For instance, if your shortest cycle was 27 days, subtract 18 from that number, which gives you 9. If your most recent menstrual cycle started on the 6th of the month, you’d circle the 15th as your first fertile day.
   • If your longest cycle was 32 days, subtract 11 from 32, which gives you 21. If your current menstrual cycle started on the 6th, you’d mark down the 27th as the end of your fertile window, which is 21 days after the 6th.
4. Try to get pregnant between the 8th and 19th days of your cycle. Use your tracking journal to figure out how long your menstrual cycle is. If your average cycle is between 26 and 32 days, check a calendar to figure out when the 8th and 19th days of your cycle are. Try having intercourse consistently during those 11 days, which may lead to a successful pregnancy.^[4]
   
   • If you’re not trying to get pregnant, use extra caution when having sex during this part of your cycle.
   • This is also known as the “Standard Days” method.
   • Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results right away! It may be tricky to get the timing exactly right.
5. Look for stretchy, slipper cervical mucus to confirm your fertile days. Look at your underwear or vaginal canal to see what kind of mucus, or vaginal discharge, shows up. If your discharge is dry, you probably aren’t fertile. When your discharge is slippery and stretchy, there’s a chance that you may be fertile. As you continue to check your discharge, use your journal to track the texture and amount of mucus that you have.^[5]
   
   • Once you’ve had slippery mucus for at least 2 days, you can assume that you’re fertile.
   • You can also check your cervical mucus by rubbing a clean finger inside your vagina.
   • Dry, cloudy, slippery, sticky, and wet are all different words you can use to describe your discharge.
6. Record your temperature throughout your cycle to determine when you're infertile. Visit a pharmacy or health supply store to pick up a traditional or rectal (basal) thermometer. Take your temperature for 5 minutes, then write down the average temperature in your menstrual cycle journal. Try to track your temperature throughout your cycle, and take note of whenever it goes up. Note that when your temperature is consistently higher than average for at least 3 days, you likely won’t get pregnant.^[6]
   
   • The infertile window, or “safe days” end once your average temperature drops before the beginning of your period.
   • This method isn’t super effective on its own—it’s best if you use the cervical mucus method (or another method of your choice) to see if you’re fertile or not.
   • You’ll likely have the most accurate results if you check your vaginal temperature.
7. Use the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) if you’re a new mother. Examine your current lifestyle, especially if you’ve recently had a child. Try tracking your menstrual cycle, as well as how often you’re breastfeeding. If you haven’t had a period since giving birth, have a child that’s younger than 6 months, and breastfeed your child on a regular basis, you may be infertile.^[7]
   
8. Live a healthy lifestyle to improve your fertility as a male. Cut back on smoking and drinking if you do either of these on a regular basis, as these habits may lower your sperm production overall. Additionally, opt for comfortable, breathable underwear to prevent any heat stress.^[8]
   
   • Certain medications, like anabolic steroids, may lower your fertility.

[Edit]Improving Your Ability to Conceive

1. Test your sperm to see if it’s fertile. Find a home sperm test online or at your local pharmacy. Use this test to analyze a sample of your sperm to see how concentrated it is. If you ejaculate at least 20 million sperm per millimeter, you may not have to worry about any fertility issues. If you ejaculate less than 20 million sperm per millimeter, then you may want to talk to a doctor about further fertility tests.^[9]
   
   • Keep in mind that sperm count may not determine if you’re fertile or not.
   • This test can let you know if you need to see a doctor or not.
2. Try having sex on a regular basis when you’re fertile. During your fertile window, plan to have intercourse with your partner every 2-3 days. When you have sex consistently, you‘re more likely to conceive a child.^[10]
   
3. Talk to your doctor about stopping contraception. If you’re currently on birth control, you probably won’t have much luck getting pregnant. Schedule an appointment with your doctor to figure out the best way to adjust your daily regimen so you can safely and successfully conceive a child.^[11]
   
   • Other forms of contraception, like condoms, will greatly lower your chances of conceiving a child.
4. See a doctor for fertility tests if you can't conceive. Ask your doctor if there are any tests that you can do to find out if you're fertile. If you’re having trouble conceiving, there might be something more serious that’s causing the problem. Depending on your doctor’s professional opinion, you may want to get a hormone or imaging test to see what the issue is.^[12]
   
   • A hysteroscopy or hysterosalpingography lets your doctor examine your uterus and other reproductive organs for damage. Men might get a vasography, which examines the vas deferens.
   • Blood tests and other procedures may also be taken to check testosterone levels, as well as any pre-existing conditions. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome or premature ovarian failure may be less likely to conceive.

[Edit]Tips

• Ask your doctor if there’s any medications that can improve your chances at fertility and conception, like a treatment for erectile dysfunction.^[13]
• Look into surgical options if your at-home tests aren’t working well.^[14]
• Having sex more often may increase your chances of conceiving a child.^[15]
• A low-stress, low-caffeine lifestyle may help boost your chances of conceiving a child.^[16]

[Edit]Warnings

• As frustrating as it is, infertility doesn’t always have a discernible cause. Keep this in mind when you visit the doctor.^[17]

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007062.htm
2. ↑ https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/what-is-charting/
3. ↑ https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/fertility-awareness/whats-calendar-method-fams
4. ↑ https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/contraception/fertility-awareness-based-methods-of-family-planning
5. ↑ https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/fertility-awareness/whats-cervical-mucus-method-fams
6. ↑ https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/fertility-awareness/whats-temperature-method-fams
7. ↑ https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/LAMPEH.pdf
8. ↑ https://www.healthymale.org.au/mens-health/male-infertility
9. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sperm-count/expert-answers/home-sperm-test/faq-20057836
10. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/how-can-i-increase-my-chances-of-getting-pregnant/
11. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/how-can-i-increase-my-chances-of-getting-pregnant/
12. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infertility/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354322
13. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-infertility/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374780
14. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-infertility/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374780
15. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/male-infertility/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374780
16. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/female-infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354308
17. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/female-infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354308